gmhTODAY 06 gmhToday Jan Feb 2016 - Page 36

ABOVE: Renee and Ron Erskine at their
Morgan Hill home. RIGHT: Ron with son,
Drew. backpaking in the high Sierras.
“So many people come up to me after-
ward and say ‘I never would have thought I
could do a hike like this!’”
In 2014, Ron published his first book,
“Measureless Mountain Days.” The book
chronicles Ron’s journey with his son,
Drew, along the 221-mile John Muir Trail.
They spent three weeks trekking through
Sierra mountain wilderness to reach the
14,495-foot summit of Mt. Whitney. A
trip that could make or break a father-son
relationship. Here’s what Ron said:
“Drew was 18 at the time. He wanted to
buy a used car but couldn’t find a summer
job. I wanted to hike the John Muir Trail
and capture the experience on video, but
needed someone to carry the video camera
gear. Reluctantly, Drew agreed. People who
have never done this kind of trek wonder
what it would be like. You have to sleep on
the ground, lug 45 pounds on your back,
and eat freeze-dried food for three weeks.
But then you’re awestruck by the amazing
landscape and the solitude. It makes you
feel alive like nothing else can. Problems
that arise in the backcountry req